Drive spindle for a vise

ABSTRACT

A device for a chucking apparatus, particularly machine vises having a force or pressure multiplying mechanism therein. A drive spindle is rotatable by a handcrank and acts onto a primary pressure member. A hollow spindle nut is provided on the side facing the outer end of the drive spindle and defines a coupling part. A coupling sleeve is axially movable and is secured in the sleeve and cooperates with the coupling part. The coupling sleeve has an opening therein for receiving a crank pin and has two additional axially longitudinally extending slots for receiving a carrier bolt therein. The coupling sleeve and the coupling nut are initially separated and, prior to the start of a chucking operation, the distance therebetween can be adjusted from a zero value to a maximum value.

United States Patent [191 Preisenhammer Sept. 2, 1975 DRIVE SPINDLE FOR A VISE Primary ExaminerRoy Lake Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams 7 I t P t P h 5] men or g fii g ig x b Attorney, Agent, or FzrmWoodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [73] Assignee: Saurer-Allma GmbH, Allgaeuer Maschinenbau, Kempten,

Germany [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed. 18, 1973 A device for a chucking apparatus, particularly ma- [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A hollow spindle nut is provided on the side facing the D 20 1972 G 2262383 outer end of the drive spindle and defines a coupling many part. A coupling sleeve is axially movable and is secured in the sleeve and cooperates with the coupling 5 269/228 269/221 29 1 715 part. The coupling sleeve has an opening therein for receiving a crank pin and has two additional axially [58] held of Search 269/221 321 ME longitudinally extending slots for receiving a carrier bolt therein. The coupling sleeve and the coupling nut [56] References Cited are initially separated and, prior to the start of a UNITED STATES PATENTS chucking operation, the distance therebetween can be 3,400,924 9/l968 Arnold et al 269/228 adjusted from a zero value to a maximum value. 3.650.522 3/1972 Wermuth et 269/228 3,807,721 4/1974 Arnold 269/228 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 l l6 F rp mun AA A t. /f

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chine vises having a force or pressure multiplying mechanism therein. A drive spindle is rotatable by a handcrank and acts onto a primary pressure member.

DRIVE SPINDLE FOR A VISE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a hollow spindle for chuck ing apparatus. particularly vises having a mechanical or hydraulic pressure multiplying mechanism therein and in which a drive spindle which is rotatable by a hand crank acts onto the prmary pressure member of the multiplying mechanism. which drive spindle is fixedly connected at the outer end by a radial carrier bolt to a sleeve which is rotatably supported 011 the hollow spindle end and can be screwed in a nut which is fixedly arranged in the hollow spindle end. which nut is constructed as a coupling part of a torque coupling and cooperates with a spring-loaded coupling ring which is arranged longitudinally movably. however, secured against rotation. on the inner end of the drive spindle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a vise of the known type (German Pat. No. l,284.366, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3.400.924) a mechanical pressure multiplying mechanism is provided which consists of two oppositely positioned bent lever pairs which are arranged in a horizontal plane, which pairs of bent levers are supported on one side on the drive spindle and on the other side on the sliding member. These pairs of bent levers are pressed outwardly by the forward movement of a pressure memher. To limit the forward movement of the pressure member. a rotatable stop is provided in the sliding member which has two or three stop surfaces for the pressure member. However. only two or three chucking pressures can be adjusted roughly with said rotatable stop. Furthermore. it is not possible in the case of said known type of construction ofa vise. to chuck flexible workpieces. as for example sheet packs. The force of the torque coupling is not sufficientto give the sheet pack a sufficiently high pretension for compression of the same so that then also the pressure multiplying mechanism, which moves the sliding member only at fractions of a millimeter. is not sufficient to chuck the sheet pack.

The basic purpose of the present invention is to produce by avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages a hollow spindle. particularly for vises having a pressure multiplying mechanism. in which the tension achieved with the pressure multiplying mechanism can be adjusted as desired or sensitively. nam'ely from zero up to a maximum chucking force. A further basic purpose of the invention is to perfectly chuck flexible workpieces. for example sheet packs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned purposes are substantially attained in such a manner that a hollow spindle is provided for chucking apparatus of the type mentioned above. in which according to the invention the hollow spindle nut is provided also on the side facing the outer end of the drive spindle and defines a coupling part. A coupling sleeve is axially movable and secured in the sleeve and cooperates with the aforementioned coupling part. The coupling sleeve has an opening therein for receiving a crankpin and two axial longitudinal slots 6 r passage of the carrier bolt and these are arranged in such a manner that prior to the start of the chucking operation. the distance of said coupling sleeve from the coupling nut can be adjusted from zero to a maximum value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The details of the invention will be discussed hereinafter in connection with one exemplary embodiment.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a hollow spindle for chucking apparatus, particularly vises. having driving members in the normal position;

FIG. 2 is the front view as viewed in direction II of FIG. 1'. and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1., whereby the upper longitudinal cross-sectional view shows the driving members in the normal position and the lower longitudinal cross-sectional view shows the driving members in the chucking position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION acts onto a primary pressurevmember 2 of a force or pressure multiplying mechanism. The drive spindle 4 is fixedly connected at the outer right end 4a by a radially extending carrier bolt or pin 5 to a sleeve 6. The drive spindle 4 is rotatably supported in the hollow spindle end la and can be screwed into a nut 7 fixedly arranged in the end of the hollow spindle l. The nut 7 defines a coupling part for a torque coupling and cooperates with a coupling ring 9 which is biased or loaded by a spring 8. The coupling ring 9 is arranged longitudinally movably on the inner end 4b of the drive spindle, however, secured against rotation relative to the drive spindle 4. The force or pressure multiplying mechanism consists in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of two oppositely positioned pairs 10 of toggle levers or a plurality of toggle or several pairs of bent levers arranged concentrically around a conical wedge 2 within the spindle 1. Each of the pairs of bent levers are pressed apart by an advance in the direction A (FIG. 1) of the conical end 2a of the pressure member 2. The pairs of bent levers are thereby supported on one side on the hollow spindle 1 against a thrust ring 11 and on the other side on the sliding member of the vise v which. during an advance of the pressure member 2, is also moved in direction A.

According to the invention. the hollow spindle nut 7 is constructed also on the side which faces the outer end 4a of the drive spindle as a coupling part. For example, the spindle nut 7 is provided with coupling noses 12. A coupling sleeve 13 is axially movable and secured against rotation relative to the sleeve 6 and cooperates with the aforementioned coupling part. The coupling sleeve I3 has coupling noses 14 which. for ex ample. cooperate with the noses l2 and furthermore there is provided in said coupling sleeve a multi-cdged opening 15 for inserting a multiedged crankpin 16 of the handcrank 3. Furthermore, two axial longitudinal slots 17 are provided in the coupling sleeve 13 for passage of the carrier bolt 5 so that. prior to the start of the chucking operation, the distance onof said coupling sleeve I3 from the coupling nut 7 can be adjusted from zero to a maximum amount by rotating a locking ring I8 relative to the sleeve 6.

In the illustrated advantageous embodiment. the rotatable locking ring 18 is arranged between the sleeve o and the coupling sleeve 13, which locking ring 18 is supported axially on a collar 19 of the coupling sleeve 13 and has at least one thread groove 18a on the periphery thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, two thread grooves 18a are provided into which extend radial guide pins 20 which are secured in the sleeve 6. A locking device is provided between the locking ring 18 and the coupling sleeve 13 to lock the locking ring in various rotary positions. This locking device, according to FIG; 3, consists of axially extending grooves 21 which are provided in the locking ring and a leaf spring 22 which is secured on the coupling sleeve 13 and which is received in said grooves. According to FIG. 2, one marking 23 is provided on the front side of the coupling sleeve 13 and six markings to on the locking ring l8..ln the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2), the maximum chucking pressure 5 is being exerted, namely the marking 5 of the locking ring is aligned with the marking 23 of the coupling sleeve. At this adjustment a maximum distance a between the coupling sleeve 13 and coupling nut 7 is adjusted.

In the illustrated advantageous embodiment, pressure springs 24 are provided which are supported on one side on the collar 19 of the coupling sleeve 13 and on the other side indirectly on the sleeve 6 and which are arranged in such a manner that the coupling sleeve 13 can be moved from each setting by an axial pressure applied to the handcrank 3 in the direction A against the spring pressure until engagement occurs between the coupling nut 7 and the coupling 13. For supporting the pressure springs in this example, a thrust ring 25 is provided which is loosely moved onto the carrier bolt 5 accordingto FIG. 3.

OPERATION whereby, according to FIG. 2, at 5 the maximum chucking pressure is adjusted and said chucking pressure, by adjusting to the further markings 4 to 1, can be reduced accordingly or even adjusted to zero. If according to FIG. I, the handcrank 3 which is plugged into the opening IS in the coupling sleeve 13 is rotated, then the coupling sleeve 13 is not only rotated but is simultaneously moved in direction A by conventional and, therefore, not illustrated, structure relative to the base structure for the vise (see US. Pat. Nos. 3,147,002; 3,400,924 and 3,484,094). Since the coupling sleeve 13 is fixedly connected with respect to retation to the drive spindle 4 by the carrier bolt 5, this drive spindle 4 carries along the hollow spindle nut 7 through the friction coupling 9 so that the hollow spindle l is moved in direction A and thus the workpiece is pretensioned between the jaws.

After producing this pretension, the hollow spindle 1 stops. During further rotation of the handcrank the friction coupling 9 releases so that then the drive spindle 4 is screwed into the stationary nut 7 and the pressure member 2 is advanced by the spindle end 4/; and thus a pressure multiplication is achieved. Since during the rotation of the coupling sleeve 13 with the handcrank 3, said coupling sleeve 13 is simultaneously moved in direction A then finally the coupling noses l2 and 14 of the coupling parts 7 and l3 engage one another. Since, however, the hollow spindle I'with the nut 7 is now stationary, the coupling noses 12 form a fixed stop for the coupling noses 14 (see FIG. 3, longitudinal cross-sectional view). Thus the'coupling sleeve I3 can only be rotated until it reaches this fixed stop. Thus, the tension of the pressure multiplying mechanism depending on the aforementioned adjustment is limited to a certain value which can even be reduced to zero. The adjustment of 0 to 5 can thereby be adjusted stcplessly to any desired maximum pressure tension.

During chucking ofa flexible workpiece, for example a sheet pack, the operation is as follows:

The desired maximum tension of the pressure multiplying mechanism is first adjusted by rotating the locking ring 18 relative to the sleeve 6. Then by applying pressure onto the handcrank 3 in axial direction A, the coupling sleeve 13 is moved against the pressure of the springs 24 until these two coupling parts abut one another and the coupling noses l2 and 14 cooperate so that therewith the two coupling parts 7 and 13 are connected with one another. By rotating the handcrank 3 in this position, the hollow spindle l is then rotated and therewith a sufficiently high pretension is produced which effects the compression of the flexible workpiece, for example of the sheet pack. Thereafter the handcrank 3 is released so that under the pressure of the springs 24 the coupling sleeve 13 is again moved back into the normal position according to FIG. 1. By rotating the handcrank 3 the adjusted maximum tension is then, as initially discussed, effected with the pressure multiplying mechanism.

If only one pretension of the workpiece is supposed to be achieved and the pressure multiplying mechanism is supposed to be switched off, one can proceed by adjusting the zero marking on the locking ring 18 to the marking 23. During this rotation of the locking ring l8 relative to the sleeve 6, the coupling sleeve 13 is moved forwardly so far in the direction A through the engagement of the pins 20 in the grooves 184: that the distance or becomes zero, namely as aforedescribed the coupling parts 13 and 7 then abut one another.

In order to be able to adjust in a simple manner the locking ring 18 with the handcrank 3, a nose 26 is provided on said handcrank which nose can be inserted into a groove 27 of the locking ring.

Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed above for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of the appended claims are fully contemplated.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as fol lows:

I. In a drive spindlemechanism for opening and closing a vise having means defining a hollow spindle which is adapted to be rotatably driven by means of a handcrank through means defining a drive spindle and a torque coupling releasable upon the application of a predetermined amount of torque thereto, said hollow spindle means including means defining an internally threaded nut fixedly mounted thereon, said drive spindle means including a drive spindle and means defining an external thread thereon threadedly engaging said internal thread of said nut means, a longitudinally movable force applying pressure member and a plurality of toggle lever means cxpandible in length in response to an axial movement of said pressure member relative to said hollow spindle means caused by an application of said predetermined amount of torque to thereby permit a relative rotation between said drive spindle and said nut means. the improvement comprising:

coupling means for coupling said handcrank to said drive spindle. said coupling means including a hollow sleeve and a coupling member received in the interior of said hollow sleeve and fastening means for fastening said coupling member and said sleeve to said drive spindle to prevent a relative rotation thcrcbetween while simultaneously permitting a relative axial movement between a first position wherein said coupling member is spaced at varying locations from said nut means and a second position wherein said coupling member is adjacent said nut means, both of said nut means and said coupling member having cooperating coupling parts thereon becoming coupled together when said coupling member is in said second position; and control means for controlling the initial spacing between said coupling parts on said coupling member and said nut means before said vise is closed, said initial spacing controlling the amount of relative axial movement between said drive spindle and said nut means upon the application of said predetermined amount of torque to said torque coupling to thereby limit the amount of pressure applied to said toggle lever means by said pressure member. 2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a locking ring located between said coupling member and said sleeve, said locking ring engaging an axially facing side on said coupling 6 member and adjusting means for effecting an axial movement of said locking ring and thence said coupling member relative to said sleeve to move said coupling member between said first and second positions.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting means for effecting said simultaneous axial movement of said locking ring and said coupling member comprises an annular thread groove in one of said sleeve and said coupling member and a radial guide pin in the other of said sleeve and said coupling member received in said thread groove.

4. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting means includes releasable locking means for releasably locking said sleeve to said coupling member in said varying locations of said first position.

5. The improvement according to claim 2, including pressure springs between said coupling member and said sleeve, said pressure springs normally holding said coupling member in one of said first positions, said coupling member being movable, upon the application of an axial force greater than the force of said pressure springs, axially through said first positions to said second position.

6. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein said pressure spring is connected to said sleeve at a location between said coupling member and said nut means, said connection being comprised of a pressure ring mounted internally of said sleeve, said fastening means including a bolt member connecting said coupling member and said sleeve to said drive spindle, said pressure ring including means cooperable with said bolt member to secure said pressure ring to said sleeve.

* l =l l 

1. In a drive spindle mechanism for opening and closing a vise having means defining a hollow spindle which is adapted to be rotatably driven by means of a handcrank through means defining a drive spindle and a torque coupling releasable upon the application of a predetermined amount of torque thereto, said hollow spindle means including means defining an internally threaded nut fixedly mounted thereon, said drive spindle means including a drive spindle and means defining an external thread thereon threadedly engaging said internal thread of said nut means, a longitudinally movable force applying pressure member and a plurality of toggle lever means expandible in length in response to an axial movement of said pressure member relative to said hollow spindle means caused by an application of said predetermined amount of torque to thereby permit a relative rotation between said drive spindle and said nut means, the improvement comprising: coupling means for coupling said handcrank to said drive spindle, said coupling means including a hollow sleeve and a coupling member received in the interior of said hollow sleeve and fastening means for fastening said coupling member and said sleeve to said drive spindle to prevent a relative rotation therebetween while simultaneously permitting a relative axial movement between a first position wherein said coupling member is spaced at varying locations from said nut means and a second position wherein said coupling member is adjacent said nut means, both of said nut means and said coupling member having cooperating coupling parts thereon becoming coupled together when said coupling member is in said second position; and control means for controlling the initial spacing between said coupling parts on said coupling member and said nut means before said vise is closed, said initial spacing controlling the amount of relative axial movement between said drivE spindle and said nut means upon the application of said predetermined amount of torque to said torque coupling to thereby limit the amount of pressure applied to said toggle lever means by said pressure member.
 2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a locking ring located between said coupling member and said sleeve, said locking ring engaging an axially facing side on said coupling member and adjusting means for effecting an axial movement of said locking ring and thence said coupling member relative to said sleeve to move said coupling member between said first and second positions.
 3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting means for effecting said simultaneous axial movement of said locking ring and said coupling member comprises an annular thread groove in one of said sleeve and said coupling member and a radial guide pin in the other of said sleeve and said coupling member received in said thread groove.
 4. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting means includes releasable locking means for releasably locking said sleeve to said coupling member in said varying locations of said first position.
 5. The improvement according to claim 2, including pressure springs between said coupling member and said sleeve, said pressure springs normally holding said coupling member in one of said first positions, said coupling member being movable, upon the application of an axial force greater than the force of said pressure springs, axially through said first positions to said second position.
 6. The improvement according to claim 5, wherein said pressure spring is connected to said sleeve at a location between said coupling member and said nut means, said connection being comprised of a pressure ring mounted internally of said sleeve, said fastening means including a bolt member connecting said coupling member and said sleeve to said drive spindle, said pressure ring including means cooperable with said bolt member to secure said pressure ring to said sleeve. 